This summer, I had the opportunity to train at Gunsite Academy. Their training grounds offer shooters the chance to train in many areas that are not available anywhere else. In the steamy desert of Paulden Arizona, Gunsite Academy offers everything from long distance shooting (like 1600 yards) to carbine, shotgun and handgun ranges. They also have a shoot house for both pistol and shotgun that teaches shooters the ins and outs of clearing a house. I found the instructors to be professional with a heart for helping students reach their firearm training potential.
I went through their shotgun shoot house twice. Each time, I learned something that I never considered when clearing a house with a shotgun. I can honestly tell the reader, there is more to clearing a house than most people think about.
The firearm I used was a Remington 870 Tac 14. I think the Tac 14 is an excellent choice for house clearing. While using the same technology that has made the Remington 870 shotgun among the best ever made, Remington shortened this model to just 26.3 inches. If you haven’t seen the Remington 870 Tac 14, here is a review I made while shooting it at Gunsite Academy.
The shotgun shoot house was constructed to help shooters understand a proper and safe procedures for clearing a house. The technique and thought process was more detailed than I ever imagined. Learning how to enter the house, position the body, direct the firearm and quickly reload are all skills that are incredibly valuable but often not considered.
Gunsite Training Instructor, Dave Hartman, is an expert at clearing houses with the use of a shotgun. He worked with me through the shotgun shoot house and taught me that body position with the initial entry is of utmost importance. Understanding how to study the rooms while using cover is the difference between successfully clearing the house or getting killed.
Watch the video below and let us know if you would benefit from this type of training.
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